The present invention is related to a method for playing blackjack with bonus wagers that may be integrated into the traditional rules for playing blackjack. This new blackjack wagering method seeks to improve a player's gaming experience by providing additional bonus wagers in favor of the player.
Blackjack is a card game that is traditionally played in casinos or similar wagering environments throughout the world. It is a banking-style game in which each player attempts to achieve points closer to 21 but without exceeding that number. Blackjack is traditionally played with a standard deck of fifty-two playing cards. Each player is required to make an initial wager in order to be a part of the game. The game begins with the players receiving two cards faced down, while the dealer receives one card faced down and the second card exposed. After the cards have been dealt, the game proceeds in a clockwise direction. Each player can keep his hand (stand) or request more cards from the deck (hit) until each player decides that the hand is strong enough to beat the dealer's hand. If the hand goes over 21, the player immediately loses the game (busts). The dealer reveals the hidden card after all players have decided to stand or bust in accordance with the rules of the wagering establishment. Conventionally, house rules require that the dealer stands on his hand if his hand count is seventeen or more. He is required to take hits if his initial hand is sixteen or less and obtains hits until his hand is seventeen or more. If the dealer's two cards add up to 21, the dealer has obtained a blackjack and stands. If the dealer's cards exceed 21 (bust) each player who has not busted wins. If the dealer does not exceed 21, the hand count of each player is compared to that of the dealer. The players with hands exceeding the dealer's hand win according to established house rules. If the dealer and the players tie, there is a push. Depending on the rules of the establishment, the players either lose or retain their wagers. In some variations of the game, players with a blackjack are classified as push hands and the bet is returned to the player.
Additional blackjack side rules allow a player to double down (double his initial wager), split identical cards of the same rank or make an insurance bet. A player decides to double down if the player's initial two cards total a number established by initial house rules. Common double down hands include (1) nine; (2) ten or eleven; and (3) eleven only. Based on the card count, the player elects to double down and places an additional wager that is equal to the amount of his initial wager. The player receives a third card and the three-card count is compared to the dealer's final hand. The player's total bet is the amount of the player's initial bet and the double down bet.
If a player splits identical cards, he must make an additional wager that is equal to his initial bet. If the second card dealt to a split ace is a 10-point card, a player does not receive the blackjack bonus for this hand. He does however win against an ordinary 21 made of more than two cards. If the dealer also has a blackjack the result for this hand is a push. In many places, the same rule (no blackjack bonus) is played if an ace is dealt as the second card to a 10-point card after splitting.
A player has the opportunity to make an insurance wager if the dealer draws an ace as the face-up card. The game proceeds with the dealer asking the players if they want to take insurance. The insurance wager is typically limited to half of the player's initial wager. The insurance wager is made in case the dealer receives a blackjack. The dealer then peeks at his face down card to check if he has a blackjack. The dealer reveals his hand and each player placing an insurance bet wins for the insurance bet only and the payout is based on established house rules. All players who do not have a hand adding up to twenty-one lose their initial bet.
Large payouts are typically not available in blackjack games. In addition, most blackjack variations allow a player to double down on a hand with an opening hand worth 11, 10 or 9. Players are not allowed to hit after a double down wager and house rules do not provide for a bonus payout if the additional card count reaches 21. When you've chosen to double down, a player only gets one additional card from the dealer and the payout would be based on the initial wager and the double down wager. Most blackjack variations benefit the dealer more than the players and also provide low payouts. This wagering method is limiting and produces lower payouts. In addition, most players become bored with the game and expect low returns from their wagers.
To this end, this new method for playing blackjack with bonus wagers provides favorable wagering options for players and thereby increasing the appeal of the game. A player is more likely to retain interest in a game with additional opportunities to wager and possibly win higher payouts. The present invention allows the players to risk additional wagers based on a plurality of exposed card combinations. A player receives a first hand and can take a hit if the first hand combination is higher than 11 and the player can achieve a total card count of 21. A player showing an exposed hand combination of twelve through seventeen is more likely to make a double down bonus bet as provided by the rules and payouts of the present intention. The player can make the second bonus bet that an additional card can produce a card count of twenty-one. The excitement of the game continues as the winner of the first or second bonus rounds receive big payouts of 10 to 1.